I have a thing about video game water. Whether it’s waves lapping the shore in Total War or the rolling seas of Assassin’s Creed IV, I’ve always been fascinated by the work that goes into recreating the sea (and the tech behind it).

When you think about it most objects in video games are hard, cold things. Rock floors, steel doors, vehicles, guns. Sure, there are exceptions—as hardware gets more powerful we’re able to see things like fluid hair, trees blowing in the wind and a character heaving for breath after a run—but for the most part the worlds you play through and over in games are static and lifeless.

Not so the ocean. It’s always in motion, always heaving, surging, moving. Getting that right can be a challenge, but when you nail it, it looks amazing. And Sea of Thieves looks amazing.

I don’t care if the game itself turns out to be complete trash. I’m not here to preview it. I just want to talk about this water, going through every look at it we get in the game’s lengthy E3 playthrough.

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This looks lovely! A nice roll to it, it looks organic—rather than just a series of tiles pasted over and over—and, best of all, you can jump into it and swim under the waves!